SOUND ON SOUND
The SampleCell II PC card can turn your humble PC into a fully-featured, 32-voice sample replay unit with eight individual outputs. Brian Heywood investigates.
Although it offered a GM mode, Yamaha's QY22 Walkstation was not a true General MIDI instrument. With the release of the new fully GM-compatible QY22, have Yamaha rectified the shortcomings of the previous machine? Derek Johnson finds out.
Paul White tries to establish whether a separate mic preamp really does make a difference, using the MX2, the latest in the LA Audio Lite range of signal processors.
This new French program must be one of the cheapest ways of integrating digital audio and MIDI sequencing. Panicos Georghiades and Gabriel Jacobs put it through its paces.
Paul White bolts Roland's new range of synth expander modules into his rack, seats himself in the comfy chair, then switches it on.
Andy Davies casts his eyes, and fingers, over Fatar's latest low-cost master keyboards.
Team SOS test a practice amp from Washburn.
It's not a new synth — it's seven! Korg's amazing new Prophecy offers analogue and FM synthesis, and physical modelling, and still costs under £1000. Unsurprisingly, SOS staff have been dying to review one ever since it was unveiled at this year's Frankfurt Musik Messe. Lucky man Gordon Reid won the toss...
Panicos Georghiades and Gabriel Jacobs put Steinberg's new budget 'MIDI-plus-audio' sequencer for Windows through its paces.
The trouble with sequels is that they're not usually as good as the originals. Is the follow-up to Digitech's powerful TSR24 the exception to the rule? Derek Johnson and Debbie Poyser find out.
Once again, Paul White disrupts his studio listening system, this time to audition Tannoy's diminutive PBM5 IIs.
Paul White provides a sneak preview of the world's first truly portable 8-track digital multitracker for musicians.
Power amps may not be as exciting as synths, but they can make a big difference to your sound. Paul White checks out Yamaha's latest power tool.
Offering evolution not revolution, the feature-laden K2500R packs one heck of a sonic punch. Paul Ward remains impressed...
Norman Fay takes a relro look at the Rhodes Chroma, the last and most obscure of ARP's long line of analogue synthesizers.
Paul White checks out the new features in this latest update to Emagic's MIDI recording environment.
Team SOS checks out an advanced damping polymer from Spectra Dynamics in Wales.
Paul White turns his critical ear to three Groove Tubes valve mics, and concludes that they are more likely to tell you what you want to hear than the unbridged truth.
Paul White discovers that doubling the input capacity of a Mackie LM3204 is as simple as plugging in a single ribbon cable — and signing a cheque!
Until now, musicians wanting to add that distinctive valve sound to their recordings have had to beg, borrow, or steal to do it. At a mere £149, ART's new tube mic preamp looks set to change all that. Paul White checks it out.